PREPAK salutes workers on May Day
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 30 2015 : The proscribed People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) has conveyed warm greetings to all workers on the occasion of May Day.

Peasants and workers are the most important class of people in any country which is or aspires to be economically self-reliant.

There may not be traders or profit seekers but peasants and labourers are indispensable in any country which is self-reliant or struggling to be self-reliant.

Stating that the May Day has been observed to show solidarity to the working class, a statement issued by the Assistant Secretary, Publicity and Propaganda of the outfit, Leibak Ngakpa Luwang called upon all the people to give due respect to the working class people.

The PREPAK statement recorded that the International Workers' Day or May Day sprang from the labour movement launched in the United States in the 19th century.

It said that the united labour movement of the workers was so powerful and influential that it shook the capitalists' foundation thereby gaining pace day by day.

The path of revolution is confronting the vices of counter revolution until the aims are achieved.

This can be learnt from the history of May Day, it stated.

On May 3, 1886 when the workers of United States gathered at the Haymarket Square in Chicago to discuss about the postponement of the movement, police resorted to baton charging at them.

To protest high-handedness of the police team, the workers staged a demonstration at the Haymarket Square on May 4.A police sergeant died as a bomb was hurled at the gathering.

Due to this, a violent confrontation broke out between the workers and the police resulting in the death of seven policemen and four workers while more than a hundred people sustained injuries.

Following the Haymarket Square incident, a spark to the burning labour movement was plugged when the patriots resolved to fight back all counter revolution measures.

In an attempt to curb the movement, some leaders like Parsons, Spies, Fishcher and Engel were hung while some others were exiled.

The counter revolutionary measures spilled out of Chicago and the measures spread across the United States.

However, the workers movement holds a significant place in the chapters of history due to the undying spirit of the workers that keeps the wheels of revolution still in motion.

A year after the proponents were hung in Chicago, the American Labour Federation convened a convention at St Louis in 1888.The convention resulted in the launch of 'eight hours a day movement' .

It said that the labour movement of American Federation of Labour under the leadership of Samuel Gompers is worth remembering.

The movement had provided a platform to all labourers of the world.

It was on July 4, 1889 that the movement was adopted as an international movement during a meeting of leaders of revolutionary proletarian movement.

Chronicling the evolution of International May Day, the PREPAK statement observed that the first International Labour Day was observed in 1907 while in India it was first observed in 1927.The first International Labour Day observance in the entire North Eastern States, participated by the people of Kangleipak, was on May 1, 1939 when workers under the leadership of Lamyanba Irabot took out a rally from Moirangkhom till the official residence of the then Political Agent, Jimson, the statement recorded.

It maintained that even though the State participated in the international movement since 72 years back, the conditions of the working class have not improved.

Stating that the status of workers both in the public sector and private sector remains quite poor, the PREPAK statement called for improvement of working conditions and upliftment of labourers.

It further stated that the incapability of the present education system under the 'colonial regime' in fetching educated youth respectable jobs has wasted the resources of the State.

The PREPAK charged that the colonial regime has been using the human resource as a machinery of fratricidal killings and exploiting the natural resources of the land and at the end rendering the people a consumer society, unable to stand on its own feet.

In view of India's Act East Policy, there is a growing need to cultivate a vibrant work culture by focusing the Nation's collective attention on the question of sustenance rather than on survival.

The PREPAK statement then urged one and all to respect the working class across the planet.

Comment